Nordkapp

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Nordkapp (North Cape in English) is a 307 metres (1,007 ft) high cliff which is usually referred to as the northernmost point of both Europe and Norway.

However, the neighbouring point of Knivskjellodden is some 1,500 metres (0.93 mi) further north, therefore this is considered the real northernmost point of Europe. It is accessible only by foot.

Hitchhiking out

<map lat='71.16410288637437' lng='25.791263580322266' zoom='12' view='0' float='right'/>


Once you have reached Nordkapp, your best bet to hitch out (which involves you return back from where you came) is to hitch a ride at the NordKapp Hall itself, or at the parking lot. You should at least manage to get a ride to the nearest town of Honningsvåg or with luck even manage to get out of Magerøya Island.

Anyhow, the distances are so big that walking out of the place is basically useless since Nordkapp is anyway the emission zone of all traffic in the area. The same applies when it comes to leave the island while hitching from Honningsvåg, it is better to stay at the crossroad of the E69 at the entrance of the town instead of walking along the road and into any of the 4km+ tunnels. Also, the tunnels are toll free since a year or so.

Lithuanian hitch-hiker Sigurdas at Nordkapp in January 2002.

After the Tunnel, the only worth ride to catch is at least until the crossroad of the E6 to a place called Olderfjors (also often mapped as Russenes). However, if the locals offer you a ride to somewhere not that far, do accept it. You will be sure to learn a lot of local knowledge, might get to visit a genuine Finnmark cabin (hytte) somewhere along the road. Remember this is the only road, therefore you will not miss out on the traffic, as long as you are on a stretch of the road where you can be seen and where cars can stop.

At Olderfjord, try and talk to as many people as possible, as this place is little more than a crossroad. The E69 takes you to Nordkapp. The E6 brings you on one side to Hammerfest, Alta, Tromsö and the rest of the country. On the other side it will take you to Kirkenes (very few people driving that distance), but also to Lakselv, Karasjok, and Finland.

Payment

With 1.1.2020 there was a change in the way they ask for money. Where you had to pay before if you came with a car/bus/motorbike to drive all the way north and where you could enter for free on food / bicycle - now you have to pay only to access the building. Anyone can drive op there for free but even if you walk there on skies they will ask you for money if you want to enter the building which is especially shitty in winter. Still you can sneak in or ask other tourists to give you their blue sticker which is how they mark if you have payed if they don't need it anymore. The way they charge might be subject to change in the upcoming months.

Sleeping on the island

Norway beeing Norway, you can of course pitch your tent anywhere and many people seem to do so on the grounds of the north cape hall itself. However, if you want something picturesque with a roof, a stove for cold nights and the best views ever while you feel like you're alexander supertramp who just found the magic bus then there are two options on the way to\from the north cape.

1: This one is a hut build by the inhabitants of Skarsvag, the worlds northernmost fishing village. It is more or less their communal living room so don't be scared if you bump into someone. On the inside there is enough room to sleep for two or three people, there is a stove, axe, firewood (don't use it all), and all kinds of other handy bits and pieces. How to get there: there is a T-junction 3km from skarsvag. One way to north cape, one to skarsvag and one to honningsvag. Take the skarsvag one, there is a camping on your left side after you have passed a big lake on your left. Walk trough the camping towards the ocean. After 15 min you should have a clear view of the bay and fjord, and see the cabin. Just outside the cabin is a big fireplace setup. Also, from here you can see the horn of hornvika, a big chunk or rock sticking out from more rock, (historically interesting).

2. This one takes a little more effort to get to, but its worth it. It is better suitable for more people and more days then option one is. In the summer of 2014 there was a small gathering of hitchhikers here (10 people?) for about three days. This is a small but proper cabin that has not been used by its owners for a long time. It has a stove, some kitchen utensils and two beds inside, aswell as a table and chairs. How to get there: Kamovear is a fishing village just of the main road about 20 km or so from the north cape. Get out of whatever you're in at the junction from the main road towards the village. Then jump over the side of the road and start heading downhill as if you wanted to take a dive in the freezing waters. At this point you don't see the cabin yet, but you will once you've more or less reached the water. Once you've reached the water the cabin is more or less straight in front of you and you have to walk left, around the bay to get there. the walk from the junction to the cabin is about 30 min across rocky terrain. Note: who the owners actually are is unknown, but yes, it is owned by someone. Take nothing, leave only your footprints. Sadly, a storm took hold of this cozy little cabin last winter and broke some of its windows. The windows have been boarded up with corrugated metal. The cabin is still accessible, but it's a whole less cozy and warm now.

3. There is a small, black hut next to one of the lakes near the E69 shortly after the few - and only - buildings and huts of the Sami people that you can see on your way north from the crossing at Skarsvag. It has one bed and space on the floor for up to 2 people. There are a lot of candles. It used to be very beautiful but now the oven is broken and the last inhabitants left it in a mess (as of 1.1.2020). There is a hole in the floor that is covered with a thick sheet of glass so be careful. The outer of the two doors of the hut is gone and there was a lot of ice that had closed the inner door of but one hitchhiker managed to free enough of the door to get in. There was half a bottle of Vodka inside and some food and firewood. The cross country skies that were there have been brought by one hitchhiker to the hut mentioned in 1. because it is a better spot to sleep in the winter.

Winter season

The way to and from Nordkapp during the winter.

The road to North Cape is open for all traffic the year round. During the winter season there are convois going up where all the cars have to go behind a snowplow. The convoi towards the cape leave at 11am and 12am and go back at 1pm and 1:45pm. There is a night convoi that leaves at 7:30pm and goes back at 9:45pm. You can also go by foot but take care: Don't walk on the road but next to it. Be prepared for strong snowfall, wind up tp 70+ km/h and no sight. If you have no experience with that, do not approach this path! The Arctic winter climate makes it especially challenging and at the same time very exciting to visit Europe’s northernmost point at this time of the year. Remember, the North Cape is situated way above arctic circle, and you would be surrounded by complete darkness for ~20 hours a day during winter season.

Cold and Cozy New Year Cape North Cuddeling Session

In January 2018 a number of hitchhikers embarked on the journey to the North Cape and partially met up at the cabins near Skarsvag. Hitchhiking from Germany via Sweden and Finland to the North Cape took them between 5-7 days and one of them even made it in 72h from the North Cape to Berlin.

The same hut was used for a small gathering of 4 hitchhikers. The hut was in good condition, the oven was working well with dry wood and there was enough place to sleep and 1-2 more could have fit even.


Nomadwiki & Trashwiki

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